Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London CassellPublication date: 1894Subjects: Astronomy, EgyptianSun (in religion, folk-lore, etc.)Temples -- EgyptNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
According to ancient Egyptians, humans require a specialized body of knowledge to prepare for and survive in the afterlife. The Egyptian Book of Life (often mistakenly translated as "The Book of the Dead") is the only living record of the twofold mystery of life and death. In this accurate and complete translation, Ramses Seleem emphasizes The Egyptian Book of Life's vitality and relevance. Accompanied by fascinating commentary that places the work in historical and religious context and featuring superb computer-generated renditions of hieroglyphics from a unique program of the author's own design, this guide offers prayers, breathing meditations, and other interactive techniques that draw the reader fully into the spiritual experience. The Book of Life promises to be the definitive translation of one of the most important documents ever written. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A 'Must' Have !
Finally, a book that clearly presents "The Real Deal",
in Egyptian spirituality !

No more euro-centric, biased and bigoted useless information,
as narrated by the so called 'scholars'.

This book is a must have !

However be forewarned, this book is not for the sensitive or
insecure, or for those who prefer to live in denial. It WILL
rattle your chain.

A Beautiful Translation of Fascinating Scriptures.
Its so fascinating to find out that Egypt had incorporated Breathing Techniques and Yoga into their Religion. I always thought that Asia was the only area that really perfected this but Egypt also perfected this. I have many other books on Egypt and Egyptology but this is the one I read over and over again.

This translation of the Scriptures is the most beautiful I've ever read. I feel like I'm reading a Bible and building a better relationship with God when I read it.

The Egyptian Book of Life goes in depth in describing the Individual Gods and it displays the correlations and correspondences with the Elements, Forces, and Principles of Nature, Life, and the Universe.


I picked up this book, started reading it, and finished it in 2 days. I've re-read it twice.
I bought 5 extra books and gave them out to my Family and Friends as gifts.

Absolute Necessity in your Egyptian Library!
This is a very Authoritative Book and Author. This should be an Absolute Necessity in your Egyptian Library.

I've always known that there were Hieroglyphics on the walls of Egyptian Pyramids and Buildings depicting their Ancient Martial Arts, Breathing Techniques, and Yoga. Its about time someone with some knowledge has brought this Magnificent Data to Light and allowed us to be exposed to it.


The Reality is that the Ancient Egyptians were Monotheistic. The earlier Egyptologists were Ignorant, Racist, Colonialistic, and had an Ethnocentric Perspective. That is why they mistakenly defined the word, Neter(GOD). Neter is like a Force or Principle. The Egyptian "GODS" were their way of describing certain Forces and Principles like Gravity, Heat, Coldness, Dryness, Moisture, ETC. This book Clarifies this Incredible and Critical piece of Information.

When you start to do your homework on the World's Religions and Cultures you will find, that if it wasn't for Egypt, there would be NO"Judaism", "Christianity", or "Islam".


I highly recommend this book.

A book to pass up on the way to enlightenment
Dr Seleem's academic credentials are not listed anywhere in this publication.

This seems an obvious intended omission once you start reading in this text his ideas concerning Egyptian Cosmology, history, science and other religious traditions of the world.

Exactly what is Mr. Saleem a "Doctor of"?

He does not state he has a doctorate in Egyptology or Anthropology, Archeology, Linguistics, Comparative Religion or Mythology.

From his absurd conculsions and naive speculations on the
metaphysical and monotheistic nature of the Egyptian religon and his rantings on the evil foundations of the Western scientific method, one might conclude he never attended
an accredited University or took a single class on comparative religion or mythology.

Pass this book up and be happy you did.

If someone sends it to you - send it back for a refund.

If you are really interested in this subject stick with Falkner and Zahi Hawass.

A BOOK OF TREASURE
This is the book I have been looking for for 20 years, ever since I first visited Egypt, and came home wanting to learn more about the people who had made the breathtaking treasures I had seen.Here, at last, is a readable translation of the most ancient and sacred texts in the world.Unlike Faulkner, this book actually conveys the intricacy and magnificence of a people who were dedicated to the divinity of life.

A comprehensive introduction explains the origin and sources of these texts, and their uses in ancient times.There are sections on how the soul of the deceased travels after death, and on ancient Egyptian mythology andreligion.When you realise that the "gods and goddesses" are actually natural laws and principles, it all makes so much more sense.The author explains that the Egyptians aimed to live well in this life and beyond, and their sacred science was all about understanding these natural laws and principles.They even had a system of sacred exercises to enhance the function of the physical body, and the subtle bodies.

I particularly liked Dr Seleem's use of original Egyptian names for characters in the mythology, such as Heru instead of the later Greek version, Horus, and Oser instead of Osiris.Somehow, I felt the use of the original names connected me with the mythology in a more direct way.Why is it that most Egyptologists use Greek names, when they are studying Egypt?Dr Seleem obviously has a great respect for the people who used this language and a deep understanding of the reasons why they regarded it as sacred.

Throughout the book there are illustrations of papyri and commentaries explaining not only the translations, but also the visual content of the images.Once the importance ofthe symbolic meaning of the writing and images is grasped, it becomes apparent that the Egyptians had profound knowledge of the human condition, and how to enhance it.

This book has a universal appeal, and will be invaluable for scholars and amateurs alike.The graphics for the hieroglyphs are visually stunning, and each papyrus is transcribed so that students of the language can read it for themselves in Egyptian.This is rather like having the Magna Carta typed up in Times New Roman! Facsimilies of the original papyri are reproduced for comparison, and vocabularies are also included.

I recommend this lovely book for anyone who wants to glimpse the true wonders of the Egyptians, without having to wade through the mire of whimsical western scholarship, which so often knocks the beauty out of the very treasures it is trying to explain.Dr Seleem here presents us with an understanding of the Egyptian sacred tradition which is not based on tattered, intellectual speculation, but on the evidence in the texts themselves. It is apparent that this eloquent tradition has much to teach us today, if only we can open our eyes and look.
... Read more

Product Description
Ancient Egyptians held a rich and complex vision of the afterlife and codified their beliefs in books that were to be discovered more than two millennia later in royal tombs. Erik Hornung, the world's leading authority on these religious texts, surveys what is known about them today.The contents of the texts range from the collection of spells in the Book of the Dead, which was intended to offer practical assistance on the journey to the afterlife, to the detailed accounts of the hereafter provided in the Books of the Netherworld. Hornung looks closely at these latter works, while summarizing the contents of the Book of the Dead and other widely studied examples of the genre. For each composition, he discusses the history of its ancient transmission and its decipherment in modern times, supplying bibliographic information for any text editions. He also seeks to determine whether this literature as a whole presents a monolithic conception of the afterlife. The volume features many drawings from the books themselves--drawings that illustrate the nocturnal course of the sun god through the realm of the dead. Originally published in German and now available in a fluid English translation, this volume offers an accessible and enlightening introduction to a central element of ancient Egyptian religion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Good guide to the subject
If you're like me, you didn't know there were more than one Egyptian Book of the Afterlife. I was familiar with the famous Book of the Dead but ignorant of the numerous other Egyptian funeral texts described in this book.

Author Erik Hornung begins with the oldest of the Egyptian "books"--which are not actually books at all, but sets of spells engraved on the walls of tombs. Among these oldest are the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, all of which are essentially spells meant to be read by the deceased in the afterlife. As time went on, the sets of spells became more elaborate and carefully attentive to the possible incidents that could occur beyond the grave, and Hornung charts the development of these different "books" carefully. As an ardent student of Dante, I was perhaps most interested in the Amduat, which is an hour-by-hour description of the sun's journey through the Netherworld to be reborn at dawn the next day. The Amduat catalogs every obstacle and opponent the dead king--identified with the sun-god--may meet in the afterlife and how he may overcome them. The pharaoh must rely on friendly gods and certain spells in his journey.

The book is lavishly illustrated--almost half of it is made up of illustrations of the various books. In fact, this is where my only complaint comes up--the way in which the illustrations are arranged makes for difficult reading. Rather than placed over the text concerning the individual scenes Hornung describes, each book is printed whole in a section following Hornung's description. This arrangement results in a lot of flipping, turning, and diligent searching when what he describes is not readily apparent.

But this issue aside, The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife is a fascinating and detailed catalog of the funerary texts so sacred to the Egyptians.

Recommended.

The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife
How does one exactly "review" a source text? Professor Erik Hornung has translated these various "books" that the elite among the Ancient Egyptians brought with them into the afterlife in their tombs and such places into his native German. From there, a certain David Lorton has translated it into English, for all those monoglots out there who only speak the language of dreaded globalization; English. Throughout the book it is filled with wonderful drawings and photographs of the hieroglyphs of old, as well as a summary of their meaning, the story behind the particular book both back in the day and more recently, in addition to some words on how the particular piece is built up and so on. One should think this book thereby provides everything a layman can need to have in order to learn about this esoteric literature of ancient Egypt.

The books centre mostly on the journey of the sun and what the deceased must do in order to achieve a good afterlife in the company of the Gods, and so on. Most of this again is centred on the journey of the sun god as he journeys through the Underworld during the dark hours of the day, i.e.; when the sun is gone from human eyes. This again is, of course, allegories and magic for how the akh and ba of the dead Egyptian shall do his journey after he has walked over the great field that divides us from the deceased. Very interesting literature, of course, but the only "flaw" with the book is naturally not the fault of the translators; rather, they have done an excellent job of editing this material. The flaw lays in the fact that the drawings themselves make no sense at all to the uninitiated, so one is left pondering if they should perhaps have focused less on the images (or given a point-by-point tour of the images) and more on the explaining. As it is now, if you don't know how to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, this makes little sense. That being said, the text itself is satisfactory, and the book is a quick read.

4 stars and recommended for those that need it, but I hope for your sake you are better at reading hieroglyphs than I sadly am.

Egyptian Hieroglyphs inturpretted
great sequence of hieroglyphs - from the oldest tombs to new - forgotten knowledge stayed forgotten - read Sitchin's collection for the Truth... man's last 1/2 million years of history...

The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife
Only 5 pages on the Pyramid Texts? Egypt tells its own story it does not need someone elses unfortuate views and omissions. The premise is great the result sterile.

Difficult Summary
Hornung takes a fascinating topic and renders it fairly dry and academic, but that's probably his purpose here.Unfortunately, everything is touched on only sketchily, so that you only get tantalizing hints without any real depth.

I will likely have to get a second resource now since this was too general for my purposes.It was, however, wonderfully illustrated, and is probably a great 'quick guide' if you need some information fast. ... Read more

Product Description
The author has extrapolated the personalities of the gods and goddesses and for each sign, she reveals: the positive and negative characteristics of each sign; advice on maintaining health and the most suitable job; how to relate to partner, child, or friend according to their sign; and your fate and fortune through the year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Cra*. Don't bother unless you're bored.
In the prelude/introduction, the author states herself that she made the system up. It's not authentic by any stretch of the word. True egyptian astrology was entirely different- go look it up instead.

It's an amusing read, though, and you can tell the author did put effort into making it, but seriously... not worth buying. I got it as a gift.

An Egyptian Gem
Dear Readers,
This book is a rare gem, a "goldmine" of information on the Egyptian Horoscope. I thought that our horoscope that is in our newspaper or in magazines was all she wrote.
After my trip to Egypt, I saw the Egyptian Horoscopoe on Hathor's ceiling at Her temple at Dendara. How beautiful, but different than the one I am used to seeing. So, I went looking for a book on the Egyptian horoscope. After buying several, I bought this book. This was the one! This book has it all.
Even if you have to buy it through another seller, this book is a lost treasure, and is worth the hunt!
Blessings,
Donna Swindells

very interesting book!
This book is really interesting because it explains the basic Ancient Egyptiansun sign astrology and what the attributes of each sign are.
In addition, it explains what each sign is like as a parent, child, or lover. It also details corresponding stones, colors, animals etc. for each sign. Wonderfully mind expanding for astrologers and all interested parties. ... Read more

Product Description
Spanning the early dynastic period to modern times, this treasury of Egyptian folklore encompasses 36 beguiling stories. Assembled by a celebrated Egyptologist, the tales are populated by amorous princes, virtuous maidens, itinerant musicians, and a host of other colorful characters. The first part contains tales originally written in hieratic characters on papyrus, the second part documents the literary revolution that ensued upon the Egyptian embrace of Christianity, and third part recounts stories from the Muslims who succeeded the Copts. Taken together, these age-old tales represent a captivating cross-section of Egyptian storytelling. 40 b/w illustrations.
... Read more

Product Description
This book explains how Ancient Egypt is the origin of alchemy and present-day Sufism, and how the mystics of Egypt camouflage their practices with a thin layer of Islam.

The book also explains the progression of the mystical Way towards enlightenment, with a coherent explanation of its fundamentals and practices. It shows the correspondence between the Ancient Egyptian calendar of events and the cosmic cycles of the universe. It also provides the evidence that Ancient Egypt is the source of the Christian calendar of holidays (ex: Easter, Last Supper, Christmas, Lent, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Epiphany, Transfiguration, etc).

Sample Highlights:
- The oxymoron of "Islamic Mysticism" and how the Egyptian mystics survive Islamic rule.
- The Egyptian Way of gaining knowledge by both intellect and spiritual revelations.
- The lively details of the Egyptian renewal festivals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very Enlightening
Great book and very enlightening, I definitely plan on reading some of the authors other books.

Beware
This book provides very good information as to the Baladi Egyptian Sufi practices. Moustafa Gadalla does not waste words and gives the information very clearly; this makes the book very easy and enjoyable to read. Moustafa states that Sufism did not originate from Islam or from Persia, but was preceded by Egypt, more specifically by the Baladi Egyptians. The author also states that "The Egyptian mystical (Sufism) teachings and practices are markedly different than those of Sufis in other Countries." pg120. The author makes it abundantly clear that the Sufism of Egypt is a matter of "sleeping with the enemy" I.e. Islam (See Appendices B "Sleeping with the enemy - Surviving Islam) pg145-148. This tolerance is a matter of survival from fear of persecution and death from Islamists and the Islamic government.

I was happy to see from the section entitled `The Ego - Personal Enemy #1' that the author states "Controlling the ego was/is one of the most important ethical requirements in the Egyptian model of mysticism"," To reunite with the divine, we must be ego-free" pg 43. Sadly there is only an exoteric methodology of righteous living as a remedy given here. Still, on a positive note this is achieved with the help of the laws of Maat; once again reinforcing this as a necessity for liberation I.e. right conduct. I loved the information regarding the Egyptian Deities I.e. Isis, Osiris, Tefnu and Shu etc. Reading about these deities helped reinforce the information that I already got from reading Gerald Massey's `Ancient Egypt' (Highly recommended).

I fully accept the author's position that Christianity, Islam and Judaism swiped a whole bunch of stuff from the spirituality of Egypt. I don't accept the position of the author that there is no proof as to Jesus Christ having walked this planet. I do however accept that the Catholic Church massaged its dates to fit ancient spirituality.

On the flip side of things, this book was not what I expected. I was hoping for greater mystical practices from this book, mystical practices of an authentic, perhaps different, but nonetheless safe nature. A good portion of this book was devoted to the subject of the Baladi festivals called Mouleds. According to the author, somewhere in Egypt you will always find one of these festivals occurring. This can even incorporate over a million people. Personally, I question where mysticism ends and religion begins with such numbers. The Central practice of the Baladi mystics is the `Ecstatic' practice of the `Zikr' or 'Dhikr'. This is also the central ritual of the Mouleds. Zikr is practiced once or twice a week in Baladi fellowships. The Zikr is essentially performed by concentrating on the guide/leader (who is absent from the room). "The seeker forgets his existence" and "allows himself to pass away (be absorbed) into the guide/leader." This is done to rhythmic music and dancing towards ecstasy. "In order for the aspirants of a fellowship to gain knowledge through spiritual revelation, one or more members of the fellowship must be a spiritual medium who can communicate and connect, through the chain of past spiritual guides to a Pir/Mir/Wali-who is commonly known as the founder of a fellowship" pg 121 The author describes this lineage in terms of a chain or pipe. As described, this chain consists of people living and dead. Personally, I've always had a revulsion of anything that would attempt to gain control over me, this also includes addictions. Obviously the Zikr rang warning bells for me. I did a simple Google search incorporating the word Zikr and demon possession. I'm aware that this has obvious Christian connotations, but the facts reported bare evidence that this is not something that I'd have anything to do with or recommend, in fact, the devastations arising from this sort of thing would have me urge all those even considering witnessing such an event as a Zikr to flee in the opposite direction. See `The influence of animism on Islam, chapter 12, The Zar: Exorcism of demons by Samuel M. Zwemer, F.R.G.S

I accept without question that the Egyptians once had a great spirituality; a spirituality encompassing deep esoteric teachings, the training of initiates and of providing a path towards liberation. I've heard it said that a great spiritual temple still resides in Egypt in a different dimension. Sadly, as was the case with other great society's that also attained great spirituality, Egyptian spirituality fell into decay. I believe that this present book has a semblance of greatness of this past Egyptian spirituality, but that this particular form of Egyptian Sufi mysticism (I.e. Baladi) now lies in distortion.

Recommendations: I enjoyed reading `Sacred Sexuality-Ancient Egyptian Tantric Yoga' by Muata Ashby and have four of his other books, of which I am eager to read and further assess. I would welcome any recommendations towards an authentic Egyptian esoteric spirituality, especially to the depth of Samael Aun Weor; I would appreciate this added as a comment.

A Revelation of Modern and Ancient Mysticism
Egyptian Mystics is Moustafa Gadalla�s tenth book in the thoroughly researched study of modern and ancient Egyptian society and culture. For those not aware, Moustafa is biased by neither Abrahamic religion nor Academic status, which in the study of ancient lands and its peoples puts him in the small minority, and as such his highlighting of the misdeeds these groups is laid clearly and factually with well documented research and common sense. There are those who consider his work controversial and Egyptian Mystics is not a book to placate history from an Abrahamized outlook, rather it is a document that shows a breathing culture who have maintained traditions, albeit surreptitiously, for thousands of years and more.

As with all of Moustafa�s books published through the Tehuti Research Foundation, Egyptian Mystics shows a consistency in its presentation; well-bound for a softcover, B5 of size, a detailed table of contents (broken into four parts with appendices), and an introductory preface, terminology, chronology of the Egyptian Dynasties and a map of Egypt. The text is clear and easy to read with consistent use of fonts to separate sources both indigenous and foreign beyond the textual body that is displayed in bite-sized paragraphs.

Part 1, The Hidden Treasure; this short, two chapter section begins by introducing the main points of the entire book showing the two paths of world spirituality, those following the dogmatic religions of a personal god and that of the mystics. Sufism is explained, its origin in Egypt and how it exists in its most widely followed path to date with clear facts that tie with the earlier introduction of mysticism. The concept of man and �god� is explored deeper with regard to union between the two as the essential and ongoing ingredient in the path of mysticism.

Part 2, Transformation from Dust to Gold; interpreted/inherited and used in hermetic and philosophical practices throughout the world. Alchemy is the first chapter and Moustafa explores the spiritual process of transformation of man in that journey of purification with fundamentals of Egyptian mysticism that have multi-layered meaning and representation, rather than just the sheer act alone; words as symbols are presented. Links along this journey are detailed with rich information on the aspirant�s need for a guide. The purification process is examined deeply with page after page of the journey to cleanse body and mind in preparation for further �enlightenment�; breathing, moral fundaments, movements, cleanliness, etc. Finally, mysticism is shown less a dogmatic cult following a communal god than a personal journey of understanding nature and of the role of the individual/microcosm to the macrocosm, the realized world and beyond, through knowledge acquired in spiritual revelation by way of being guided along this path of purification. The Egyptian principles of Ka and Ba and their interrelation are examined specifically with their union or marriage of dualities into the whole. Those that have undergone this process are revered in shrines by the Egyptians with a clear spiritual backbone that is not just superstition but a process of deep and tacit understanding.

Part 3, The Public Visitation Fairs; in this part a vibrant and florescent social culture is exampled following the fundaments of spirituality through tradition. The concept of nature as being cyclical, whether by seasons or the shift of planets is a given but this is nowhere more celebrated by the Egyptians who still continue rituals to remember the roles and that of humankind in the cycle. Mouleds, the annual festivals of renewal, are described in detail, not just the dates, locations, and practices but also of the ritualistic symbolism inherent. Lent, Easter, and other inherited traditions by the Abrahamic religions are shown in their full and continued force from their origin in Egypt, with strong meaning underpinning the date�s central to their whole tradition of renewal. Beyond symbolism the structure of the Mouleds is explained in day by day process, from the visitation of families to shrines to offerings of food. These traditions are not just purported in the modern sense but are accompanied by depictions of scenes taken from ancient Egyptian buildings.

Part 4, Come One Come All; explores the mystical fellowships and their structure both in the material and spiritual senses. Moustafa breaks down organization, ethics, spiritual beliefs, roles in society for the reader leaving no room for a secretive or cabalistic personification of a group locked steadfast to their silence and elitism, pointing out the equality of man and women therein. The analogy of Auset (Isis) is explored from its representation in the story of her and Ausar (Osiris) as an ideal model of the philosophical tradition, using aphorisms and examples that show the path one must take if one seeks a path of enlightenment and as example of general conduct of any moral and honest being.

The Appendices, a fairly new addition to several of Moustafa�s latest books consists of nearly another entire part of information covering; Miscellaneous Sufi Terms and their Ancient Egyptian Roots (fundamental symbolism of the Ancient Egyptians is explained with example of Sufism today), Sleeping with the Enemy (surviving Islam), Zikr: The Ecstatic Practise (a lengthy dissertation on the ritual of Zikr and its process in the path of seeking enlightenment), Reaching the Hearts and Minds (of how fiction is the best model for explaining models of behaviour), The Egyptians vs. The Latin Calender (an important examination of the Julian/Georgian systems developed from the Sothic year employed by the Ancient Egyptians).

Finally a Glossary of Egyptian terms with concise paragraphed explanations precedes the Selected Bibliography, Sources and Notes, and an exhaustive and excellent Index.

This book brings together much of Moustafa�s earlier books into a culture still employing symbolism and spirituality long thought dead or not at all. The book does not seek to gloat or to show an exact way of seeking a mystical way, but challenges the reader to examine his or her own standing in the world spiritually and personally; a book to be read many times and its learning employed.

Original, thought-provoking, and thoroughly reader friendly
Egyptian Mystics: Seekers Of The Way is an impressive and groundbreaking contribution to an enlightened and enlightening study of the Egyptian contributions to Sufism and Alchemy in the ancient world. Iconoclastic Egyptologist Moustafa Gadalla provides an informed and informative examination and correlation between the Ancient Egyptian calendar of events and the cycles of the universe -- including the Egyptian contributions to the Christian calendar in terms of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and more. Egyptian Mystics is an original, thought-provoking, and thoroughly "reader friendly" study which is enthusiastically recommended for students of Sufism, Egyptology, and metaphysics. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London : J. MurrayPublication date: 1920Subjects: Mythology, EgyptianLegendsNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Easy to Read Egyptian mythology
This book is a collection of Egyptian myths and stories that I found easy to read.The stories are very similar to both ancient Indian and Greek anecdotal and philosophical stories.

It was my first book on Egyptian mythology, and it was a greatchoice.CLASSIC!

Egyptian culture was so amazing - even amongst the brutality and slavery, there was so much philosophy and artistic expression.

PEACE ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (26)

NEW EDITION on Amazon under ISBN-10: 0811864898, ISBN-13: 978-0811864893

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

(This edition of the book joins Word and Image together for the first time in 3500 years. It has been reprinted with a new ISBN. Please see ISBN-10: 0811864898, ISBN-13: 978-0811864893)

The Papyrus of Ani was painted in Egypt about 1250 BC. It represents the best preserved, longest, most ornate, and beautifully executed example of the form of Mortuary Text known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Ani was a well-to-do scribe (or accountant) within the Temple hierarchy who, as he approached middle age, decided it was time to order his personalized selectionof the prayers and invocations designed as a guide to the Egyptian afterlife.Compiled from the oldest religious culture on earth, these spells (known as the Pyramid Texts) had originally been engraved on the walls of the tombs of kings or pharaohs). As time went on, they began to be more widely available, carved and painted on the wooden sarcophagi of great nobles (where they are known as Coffin texts). Finally, they became even more widely available, painted on scrolls and available to the upper middle class. Ani's papyrus measured 78 feet long by 15 inches high.

The prayers are connected to certain archetypal images. Thus an invocation to Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld, will be written within a painting (or vignette) of thatdeity. The meaning of the passage is a marriage of word and image, reaching well beyond the merely verbal level of the brain. One of the best known examples of these breathtaking unions of text and image is the Weighing of the Heart scene. Here, the heart (the moral integrity of the deceased, the conscience) is weighed against the feather of Truth and Justice. If the cumulative effectsof the person's past have allowed his soul to be as light as the feather of Truth, he or she is judged pure and admitted to the presence of the Lord of the Dead in preparation for the journey through the Afterlife. However, if the person's heart is weighted down with the burden of sin, his soul is flung to the great monster who awaits the recording of the verdict and is no more.

As a magical, polytheistic religion, the Egyptian spiritual path was alive with creativity and energy. The spiritual dignity afforded the observant Egyptian was an invigorating state. One who had led an upright moral life, who had shown respect to the Gods, and,who had been strong enough to persevere through the awesome dangers of the path of the afterlife, was then invited to feast with his Gods, playing board games in beautiful fields, drinking beerand enjoying relatedpleasures,The successful adherent would reach a stellarglory of his own, at last a member of that hierarchy his life had been spent in honoring.

The impact of Ancient Egypt on modern western culture is of course ubiquitous. Egypt is known as the Mother of WesternCivilization. The 42 part Negative Confession is a source of our own Ten Commandments. (The additionalancient statute against the bringing of law suits might be worth revisiting!) Egyptian religion is the source of the Judaeo-Christian belief in the after death resurrection promised to mankind as a reward for righteous living.

The Egyptian religion was a magical religion that involved a continuous interaction between the individual and the various deities who constituted its elaborate and exalted pantheon. Initiates were required to memorize magical formulas and spells, and to demonstrate their proficiency therein; tests of courage and honor were administered by the officers of the Temple. Possession of secret knowledge, along with a highly developed moral character, were necessary to penetrate the deeper levels of Egyptian spirituality.

Egypt's moral teaching presented in its Wisdom literature and Mortuary texts attain to the highest levels of sacred awareness. Egypt's temples, statues, frescoes, carvings, jewelry, painted scrolls and sarcophagi stand as mute witnesses to a brilliant and lofty spiritual culture that has never been equaled on earth. The silent and stationary images of The Egyptian Book of the Dead continue to speak and move today, some four millennia after their creation.

* * * * *
The story of the securing of the Papyrus of Ani combines elements of fate and tragedy, even slapstick, and marks the very end of European colonialism in North Africa. Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, assistant Keeper of the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum, and author and editor of many books on ancient Near Eastern civilizations,arrived in Egypt in 1887 with funds for the purchase of antiquities for theMuseum. There had recently been a series of extraordinary finds inUpper Egypt. The Egyptian government, seeking to preserve the finds, had appointed police/military units to seek out native Egyptians in possession of these antiquities and to prevent Europeans from buying them. Budge was personally threatened with arrest should he attempt to purchase anything.

At Luxor, Budge found a papyrus he described asthe largest such roll he had ever seen. "... I was amazed at the beauty and freshness of the colours of the human figures and animals, which in the dim light of the candles and heated air of the tomb, seemed to be alive." In fact Budge was obsessed with the papyrus. He arranged for a tin smith to make a cylindrical box to protect the roll. He evaded the chief of police of Luxor, whowascarrying out orders from the Director of the Service of Antiquities. The Ani papyrus was stored in a small building nearby the old Luxor Hotel, where it had been placed under government guard. Budge and the antiquities dealers first attempted to get the guards drunk, then to bribe them to leave their posts for an hour. Finally they arranged for a crew to quietly dig under the wall. A substantial supper was arranged for the guards and while they feasted, the conspirators removed the papyrus of Ani along with numerous other finds through the two foot square hole they had dug for the purposeearlier in the evening. Secreting the papyrus aboard a steamer at midnight, Budge arrived in Cairo, and with the help of members of the British army, managed to get the papyrus off to London.

* * * * *
Here's where the real trouble began. Budge cut the papyrus into 37 nearly equal lengths for ease of handling. The sheets were glued onto wooden boards to keep then rigid. Fortunately Budge immediately commissioned a facsimile to be prepared. An exquisite limited edition was produced by color lithography in 1890 preserving forever the awesome beauty of the ancient original. Meanwhile the translation began which took five years and a companion volume of translation was released in 1895. Meanwhile, the extraordinary nature of the find encouraged the British Museum to display the sheets under a large skylight in a central hall. The glue and direct sunlight damaged the papyrus beyond repair. The translation had also revealed that many of the cuts were made in the wrong places, thus chapters were interrupted, vignettes were split, and text was left far from its accompanying image.

Book designer James Wasserman arranged to photograph his extremely rare copy of the British Museum facsimile of the papyrus. Utilizing the modern magic of computers and state-of-the-art production techniques, the images were scanned, reassembled, and electronically recut to best display the 78 foot papyrusas a book. A team of Egyptologists was led by Dr. Ogden Goelet of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at New York University, who wrote an overall commentary on the work along with a plate by plate The bulk of the translation used is that of the late Dr. Raymond O. Faulkner, whose work is universally acknowledged as the most authoritative. It was updated by Dr. Goelet to reflect advances in Egyptian philology. Carol Andrews of the Department of Antiquities of the British Museum wrote the Preface and facilitated access to the original papyrus. Eva van Dassow acted as overall project editor. The work of these scholars made this publication as intellectually accurate as it is visually beautiful.

The translation of the text of each image is placed on the page directly below the image, allowing the reader, for the first time in 3500 years, to gaze on the images while reading the words of the papyrus. Uncluttered with footnotes or other extraneous matter, the papyrus is displayed with the intent of allowing the modern reader to experience the full depth of the original. The restoration of the unity of word and image in this publication of the Papyrus of Ani has brought to life one of the most important early spiritual treasures of mankind.

This is the one to get
If you are looking for the definitive version of this book, the must have out of all editions, this is the one. This edition has the scans of the actual text, and the Faulkner translation below (and yes I perfer Faulkner to Budge). The artwork on the actual text itself is beautiful, and not to be missed.

Great Egyptian Book of the Dead
This book was on a tv show I was watching.It's a reproduction of a real ancient Egyptian's expensive book of the dead.The plan was that once he was dead, he would then help the other members of his family get to heaven.This guy paid a fortune for this and it was suppose to be buried with him but grave robbers took it.I sure hope this man and his family isn't in Egyptian limbo someplace.All that time and effort and money only to have thieves steal it from you when you are dead.
Guess that old adage is true, you can't take it with you.
This book has a beautiful presentation.

The Best of the Papyrus of Ani
This volume is the most up-to-date revision of the famous funerary scroll of the Egyptian royal scribe, Ani. It was meant as a guide to assist the dead in his journey into the afterlife. There are several books by EA Wallis Budge that bear the same title The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani in the British Museumbut cannot compare to this most recent edition.

Though Budge is popular due to the shear volume of his non-copywritten texts (he wrote over 100 books - many outdated before they were even published!), any Egyptologist will tell you of the numerous errors in both translation and transliteration ("vocalization"). Budge's work is antiquated and dated. By contrast, this new volume is the colaborative effort of several modern Egyptologists, namely Dr. Raymond Faulkner, who re-translated the entire scroll using much more current and accurate data than Budge could have ever had (Budge's original work was done over 100 years ago).

The beauty of this book is the complete series of color illustrations of the scroll along with the actual text. The beautiful 74 color plates, with some wonderful fold-outs, also have captions identifying each deity taking part in the scenes. Another bonus is that the COMPLETE translated texts of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, missing from this papyrus, are included in the second half of the book. A plate key also lists each chapter by scene and text reference.

The papyrus of Ani is a visual and spiritual treasure from 3500 years ago that has finally been given the respect and scholarly treatment it deserves. This is a first rate book for anyone interested in ancient man's quest for eternity and the Egyptian idea of how to achieve it. It's a delight to the mind and eyes that will fascinate any reader or student of this period in history. A five-star achievment all around!

Satisfy
I must say that I received my order on time, and I did not have any complications with the delivery process or any thing associated with that. ... Read more

Product Description
The Book of the Dead is the name now given to a collection of religious and magical texts known to the ancient Egyptians as The Chapters of Coming-forth by Day. Their principal aim was to secure for the deceased a satisfactory afterlife and to give him the power to leave his tomb when necessary. Copies of The Book of the Dead written on papyrus rolls were placed in the tombs of important Egyptians, each roll containing a selection of chapters. Many examples have survived from antiquity, dating mostly from c. 1500 BCE--250 BCE. In this volume, the text translated by the late Dr. R.O. Faulkner is that found in the papyrus prepared for the scribe Ani which is one of the greatest treasures in the British Museum. The vignettes are taken from the many finely illustrated copies which are preserved in the collections of the British Museum. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Book of the Dead
Decent book, the pictures are very helpful. Definitely a must for beginners on this topic.

Illustrated with Actual Photographs
As a practitioner of ancient Egyptian religion interested in calligraphy, this edition is quite a remarkable find, as it abounds with real photo samples of manuscript papyri.It enables a paleographer or artist to compare features of semi-cursive hieroglyphic script by various scribes in a way never before possible under one cover and at an affordable price.

A Jewel of a Book!
Barnes & Noble continually publishes excellent Egyptian-themed books and this is no exception. The cover alone should be given an award for having a "jewel" embedded right in it!

Unlike Faulkner's partial, but excellent, work in the translation of the papyrus of Ani The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day this book contains the entire 189 chapters in an unbroken format from beginning to end. There is a wealth of color photographs on almost every page, including copies of the Ani papyrus (among others!), statues, jewelry, ritual instruments and tomb paintings, all designed to enhance the experience of the texts, many never seen before, putting this book above any other. It's a complete and up-to-date translation.

This is a great book full of wonderfully strange and beautiful images. Anyone interested in ancient Egypt should get it. For the suggested retail price of $14.95 it is simply unsurpassed. The best "bang for the buck" you'll ever find on the subject! Was given the highest rating by KMT magazine! Kmt

Beautiful book, extensive translation
Please look at the SECOND image to see how this particular volume (the Barnes & Noble publishing version) appears.It is a gorgeous volume with a very precise translation and explanations throughout.Lovely!

A Journey through The Underworld...
A compendium of intriguing mythology and occult spells intended to guide those 'beyond the grave', as well as an explanation of the pyramids' mazes of prognostication, various gods' attributes, and beautiful artistry from cover to cover. The cover itself features a very elegant 'grimoire'-like quality with its black on black heiroglyphs, and scarab beetle {symbol of immortality} complete with phosphoprescent red 'gem'. Great for reference material, and a must for the Occultphile's library. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

it's ok...
Wasn't what I hoped.As a devotee of Isis, I was disappointed to see that this book barely mentioned the Knot of Isis, which is a shame because the Knot of Isis is such a huge part of Egyptian magic and religion.There seems to be more stories and myths behind the charms and spells in here rather than the actual application.There's also not that much on ritual, which is another big part of Egyptian magic and religion.I think what bothered me most was the reference to crystals for healing, which seems too New Ageish. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Badaboom badabaam
This book is just simply packed with egyptian myth and legend. although sometimes only assesing the better known myths and legends this book does delve into cultural as well as historical aspects of the Egyptian empire and does a profound job of displaying a wealth of information in only a limited amount of pages.

The book as well does a surprisingly astouding job of including why the cultures of the times turned to certain myths as well as the purpose for their beliefs in certain aspects of myth. As well as in the other books in the Myth and Mankind series this book does a proficient job of providing basis for myths as well as their connection to life and other cultures throughout the world.

This book will prove exciting to those seeking a base knowledge of Egyptian myth as well as a clear and concise synopsis of Egyptian culture and tradition. Is asa well as suficient work for reference on the subject of Egyptian myth and legend.

Highly reccommend this book as well as the other books in the MYTH AND MANKIND series.

Marvelous Mythology
Ancient Egypt is my favorite thing to study---whether in or out of school!As an (expert, in a sense,) Egyptologist, the first time I saw this book I was ready to bury my nose in it and get to reading.This wonderful book covers everything about ancient Egyptian mythology---from the important temple rites and festivals to everyday religion.It includes some very well-known myths (like the rivalries of Horus and Seth) to those that are less recognized (such as myths of foreign gods who encounter Egyptian gods).I recommend this book to anyone even slightly interested in Egyptian mythology.You'll learn a lot (---even I did---), I promise!If I were an Egyptology teacher I'd give this book an A++++++++++++++++. . . .

Informative and Entertaining
I have never really ready anything dealing with ancient Egyptian culture, but I saw this book in the library and thought I would give it a chance.This book delves deeper into the Egypting culture and how they viewed religion and the afterlife.The most I've seen or read about ancient Egypt is the The Ten Commandments, with Charleton Heston, and that isn't as accurate as one would like to think.This book goes into timelines, different gods, child birth, death, mummification, etc.As a beginner of this subject, some of the terminology is difficult to understand.In whole, the book is filled with wonderful artwork and pictures and every chapter is interesting.If your a newbie to this subject like me then you'll most certainly learn something new. ... Read more

Product Description
With Their Influence on the Opinions of Modern Christendom. "When Christians shall at length acknowledge that many of those doctrines, which together now make up orthodoxy, or the religion of the majority, as distinguished from the simple religion which Jesus taught and practised; when they shall acknowledge that many of them are so many sad and lamentable errors; then, and not till then, will they seek to know their origin, and enquire from which of the several branches of Paganism they sprung. They will then see that most of the so-called Christian doctrines, that have no place in the New Testament, reached Europe from Egypt, through Alexandria." Contents: Religion of Upper Egypt; Religion of Lower Egypt; Religion Under the Persian Conquerors; Religion Under the Ptolemies; Religion Under the Romans; Christianity Under the Roman Emperors; Christianity Under the Byzantine Emperors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Ignore ignorant
Books published over a hundred years ago are different than books published today. Today, everyone has an agenda, which is often hidden. Had this book been written today, the facts that disagree with the author's agenda would have been conveniently excluded. That is not to say that authors were not biased a hundred years ago, as this author most certainly was. The bias, however, is quite clear and is blatant enough that the reader can choose to exclude this bias and focus on the core facts, to come to a more informed opinion.

When you strip the author's bias away, that bias being primarily that we live in a more enlightened time and that our theology is more sophisticated than the theology of a people living thousands of years ago, you are left more informed and in a better position to evaluate your own religious beliefs (particular if they happen to be Christian beliefs). Even from a purely historical context, this book fills in many gaps pertaining to the evolution of Christianity (and pre-Christianity) that would be very difficult to discover elsewhere (certainly not in such a concise text).

If you are considering purchasing the book that Amazon groups with this one, THE EGYPTIAN ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY, I wouldn't recommend it.

Out of Egypt
Samuel Sharpe was a British reverend and scholar who first published "The History of Egypt" around 1840, which went on to at least 5 editions by 1870. His knowledge of his subject was broad and deep, including a knowledge of hieroglyphics. In the book under review he treats the special subject of the influence of Egyption religion on the doctrines and symbols of Christianity. The evidence is carved in stone,inked on papyrus and painted on the walls of tombs.This book is fascinating and deservs to be read. And don't forget "The History of Egypt", which is full of miniature wood blocks interwoven with the text.

ignorant
This is not a book admiring Egyptian Christianity by attempting to explaing its ancient roots.This book is degrading to Christianity in Egypt.In fact, the opinions stated in this book should be offensive toany Christian as it attacks characters who are honored by all denominationsof the Christian faith.The author is cynical and offensively ignorant. He does not even cite sources for his ludicrous opions which he soarrogantly states as fact.Any education that can be gained by readingthis book is lost in the anger and disguist it inspires.It is comfortingto know that the foolish opinions in this book are far from consistent withthose expressed by the majority of scholars. ... Read more

Product Description
Ancient mythology and its striking themes have always fascinated scholars and the general populace alike. Mythological interpretations have proven valuable to historians and theologians for centuries, and more recently, structuralist and Freudian interpretations have dominated the field. "Ancient Economy In Mythology" is the first to explore the economic component in mythology. Original articles by scholars from diverse fields-ancient languages and history, philosophy, anthropology, and economics-uncover and utilize evidence in myths to throw light on ancient economies and reveal the role played by myths in shaping and justifying economic policies in ancient societies. The book's articles fall into four major economic themes: Primary Production and Distribution in Myth; Dynamics and Statics of Socioeconomic Roles in Myth; Resource Extraction and Royal Myths; and International Trade in Myth. These fresh and sometimes controversial papers will be of interest to ancient historians, economic historians, anthropologists, religious and Biblical scholars, Assyriologists, Classicists, Indo-Europeanists, and the general educated public. ... Read more

Product Description
A truly fascinating guide to the mythology of ancient Egypt. The authoritative text explores the intricate myths and legends of this ancient civilization. ... Read more

Product Description
Renowned Egyptologist Jan Assmann traces the monotheism of Moses back to that of the Egyptian king Akhenaten (1360-1340 B.C.E.). He then shows how the followers of Moses denied and condemned the Egyptians as polytheistic idolaters. Thus began the cycle in whcih every "counter religion" denounced all others as false. Assmann presents a compelling lesson in the fluidity of cultural identity and beliefs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Moses the Egyptian
Problem is that Akhenaten may have truly lived way after Moses. There are now many Egyptologists who are stating that the current Egyptian chronology is wrong because it is based on Manetho's incomplete histories. The dating may be off by 200 or more years. Akhenaten was most likely Pharaoh around the time of King Saul around 1020 BC. The Amarna letters show this to be most likely true. If this be the casethe entire theory of this author is worthless. Egyptian historical dating is in need of re-examination and a new chronology based on correlation of events between cultures and not history given by a single egyptian priest !

Brilliantt and crystal clear historical analysis
Jan Assmann is a giant among scholars, and that most incredible find: a man with genius insight who knows how to write! This book is about the story of Moses and how it is told and retold in Western culture. Except for a few untranslated quotes in German, French, etc., this work is beguilingly instructive enough for a beginner, and its points are made with such beauty that they will spur one to further biblical or Egyptian research.I value the book for it's in depth analysis of Akhnaten and the extent of hismonotheistic "revolution" as much as anything else.This scholar is also gentle in his approach to all the materials he treats. For that reason he inspires considerable trust. I can not recommend this book and this man too much! The whole subject of the connection between Ancient Israel and Egypt is a rich load of treasure beyond imagining, and here is a great mind to open pathways and draw our attention to things we think we see but perhaps do not.Dazzling work!

Searching Moses in the Memory of Kemetic Egypt

"One would call this work monumental ..., if there were no risk of distracting the reader thereby with what might otherwise appear as a facile and predictable pun." T. Lawson, Folklore Bulletin



Prologue, Assmann's Models:
In 1984 Jan Assmann undertook the ambitious task of investigating the nature of Ancient Egyptian theology that has so fundamentally influenced studies on Egyptian religion. His impact was so great that many of his models have since been adopted in recent scholarship. Building on M. Halbwach's concept of memory as a social phenomenon as well as an individual one, the Freudian psychodrama of repressing and ultimately resurrecting the past, he writes a unique study, Moses the Egyptian.

Amarna Monotheism:
The 'Amarna heresy', or Atenism is thought to be the earliest monotheistic religious revelation ever, with a wealth of devotion and worship hymns of Aten. Atenism was associated mainly with the eighteenth dynasty Prophetic Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, better known as Akhenaten, the name he adopted. Recent Egyptologists indicate there are proofs that Aten was becoming more known during the eighteenth dynasty - notably Amenhotep III calling of his royal barge as the 'Spirit of the Aten.' Ultimately, it was Amenhotep IV who introduced Aten as the sole deity in his revolution, in a series of decreed steps culminating in the official endorsement of Aten as the sole universal god for the Egyptian Empire, and beyond. It was established as Egypt's state religion for around two decades, in the 14th century BC, before a violent return to the traditional Amen and Egyptian pantheon gods, while the name of the 'heretic Pharaoh' associated with Aten was completely erased from the Egyptian records.

The Mind of Egypt:
Our western civilization is influenced in many ways by perspectives that originated in the Heliopolitan theology, such as the concept of monotheism. How and why monotheism became what it did has its source in Egypt as well. Without an understanding of how the Egyptians viewed the idea of the unity principle, 'one god, Lord of the Pantheon,' it will be difficult to see how this concept became corrupted through misapplication over time.
The enormous influence of the mind of Egypt on our continuing present is one of the stronger messages here, and this influence has made itself felt in a number of areas, not least the very modern study of religion itself. Assmann points out that even our concepts of monotheism and polytheism were hammered out in the burgeoning discourse of seventeenth century Egyptology. Todd Lawson, Toronto University.

Heidelberg's Egyptologist in America:
Would you have visited Heidelberg, it's castle and university, you will have appreciated the rigor in color of German scholarship in a field that was a quasi monopoly for few European students of the great Civilization, formulated as the science of Egyptology. The idea of biblical revelation that stunned the young American Orientalist J. H. Breasted, when he studied ancient Egypt's moral codes, persuaded him to pursue his great adventure into the 'Dawn of Conscience', in ancient Egypt, a comparative study of Hebrew wisdom poetry with its analogous Egyptian parallels; impacted the twenty century religious imagination from Freud to Assmann. When Professor Assmann was invited by J. P. Getty center for a sabbatical in California, he decided to explore 'the vast terrain between Akhen'Aten and Freud.' in reply to 'Freud's Moses', and recap on his search of almighty God in Egypt (The Mind of Egypt), as an introduction to the same author's Moses the Egyptian

Assmann's Themes:
Assmann gave his work an Egyptian concept, advancing onto seven consecutive waves, inscribed onto the chapters of his book. He starts with a para-psychological definition of Egyptian thought construction as Mnemo-history, advancing into Suppressed history of Repressed memory of Akhenaten in Moses conscience, proceeding to Spencer's findings as 'before the Law.' The crux of his advancement to his ultimate thesis lies in a historical review of eighteenth century discourse on Moses. Freud shows up in a psychological spear head idea; 'the Return of the repressed,' the roots of Egyptian monotheistic theology of the elite was conceived in the 'One,' the master of Egyptian Pantheons, Aten, or Amon-Rae. Concluding into what breasted initiated eighty years ago: abolishing the Mosaic monopoly of revelation. Marvelous!

Scholar's Evaluation:
The Egyptians' experiment and successes with the modalities and rhetoric's of religion and politics would be felt not only by the heroes of the venture of Ebionite Islam, but also their Semitic kins amongst the Hebrews.All these various actors and audiences, the Greeks, Romans and Persians, were imbued to some degree or another with something of the Mind of Egypt since ancient times, through the triple agency of what the author calls Traces, Messages and Memories. ... Professor Assmann has fashioned for the scholar and general inquirer a key to ancient Egypt that is a pleasure to read, thrilling in its insights, and awe-inspiring as regards the multiple scholarly tools so clearly and masterfully employed.

Conceiving Reality:
I refrain from my all for Assmann old/new thesis which he perfected to quoting a more informed evaluation of A. Grafton, in New Republic; "A brilliant study...Assmann combines great technical virtuosity in his chosen field with wide-very wide-theoretical and comparative interests... Moses the Egyptian offers challenging new findings on the early history of monotheism, and a new reading in the place of Egypt in Modern Western culture-"
While the Hebrews were collaborative in the Egyptian prince Moses' liberation scheme, in both senses of body and soul, the Jewish people rejected the Messiah of their own national stock!

The mnemohistory of Egyptian monotheism
As several readers have pointed out, Assmann's work is not really suitable to the casual reader, nor the reader unlearned in Latin.That said, most reviewers have suggested that the book be reviewed by someone fairly up on the field.

Assmann calls his project a "mnemohistory," meaning by this a history of the way certain aspects of an ancient history are remembered and distorted over time.The central focus of this mnemohistory, as indicated by the title, is Moses and his Egyptian origins.Assmann is a distinguished Egyptologist, so he wants to root this mnemohistory in Egypt, not in any of the numerous pseudo- or para-Egyptian texts (the Hermetica, for example, or Plato's various renderings of Egypt).In short, the question is this: What, if anything, might ancient Egyptian historical events have to do with later Western conceptions of (1) Egypt, (2) Judaism, (3) Moses, and (4) monotheism in general?

Assmann begins with a seemingly radical thesis: that the historical figure(s) represented in "Moses" was an Egyptian priestly exponent of the Akhenaten/Amarna monotheism, which lasted a couple hundred years and ended under the reign of Tutankhamun.The implication of this is that Judaism, and in particular Mosaic Law, was constructed as a counter-religion to normative (i.e. non-Akhenaten) Egyptian religion.

Having demonstrated that this thesis is plausible, Assmann moves on to examine how this peculiar origin of Judeo-Christian ritual and legal prescription was remembered and reinterpreted across the millennia.He examines Maimonides, John Spencer, and Ralph Cudworth, showing them all recognizing the Judaism-equals-Egypt-backwards connection, but interpreting it variously for philoSemitic, antiSemitic, philoEgyptian, or other purposes.

Next, he moves on to examine the flowering and spreading of this debate through the eighteenth century, where it influenced Deist and Masonic discourse, as well as that of major philosophers.Finally, he moves to what seems to me the heart of the book, an analysis of Freud's _Moses and Monotheism_, examining the ways in which Freud utilizes psychoanalytic techniques to reveal the same half-remembered ancient trauma beneath the very origins of monotheism --- that is, Freud realizes that the hideous cultural trauma inflicted upon Egyptian culture by the Akhenaten revolution led to suppression, repression, and thus to expression in not only monotheism but also a violent aversion for monotheism's apparent originators.In short, Freud discovers in the Amarna trauma the repressed origins of anti-Semitism.

The book concludes with an Egyptologist's analysis of the monotheism of Amarna, on which this reader is not able to pronounce; that said, Assmann's credentials certainly suggest that this should be a most expert reconstruction.

_Moses the Egyptian_ is an extraordinary piece of visionary scholarship, wide-ranging and courageous, but copiously annotated and supported.If, having read this review, you think this book sounds like the niftiest approach to Foucaultian archaeology, or some similar theoretical structure, this book is probably for you.If, on the other hand, you want a careful history in the more classic sense of a narrative, with people and events, and some sort of proof of who Moses "really was," you're not going to get much out of this.

Historical-Philosophical Discourse
This book is a scholarly discourse as to how the memory of Egyptian monotheism survived in Western Culture. I use the word scholarly advisedly, not only because the book is well researched and annotated but it is also written for scholars. It does not lend itself to cursory reading but needs to be studied. This may be the reason why previous reviewers, although favorable,did not inform the reader of the points made in the book.
For me the most important aspect was that Assmann clearly distinguishes between Moses as a historic figure and Moses as portrayed in the literature. He calls this phenomenon mnemohistory. Namely history not as it transpired according to current knowledge but history as it is remembered. This is important because we know nothing about the historic Moses. Assmann then goes on to describe previous views held about Moses having been culturally,if not ethnically, an Egyptian and how he had created a counter-religion to Egyptian practices. He reviews the works of authors ranging from the 17th to the 20th century; with a number of them having passed into oblivion over the centuries. Assmann also subscribes to Freud's view that Akhenaten's monotheism was the model upon which Moses had built his own edifice. Others may argue that the biblical Moses was not yet a true monotheist because the god of Moses is still in competition with other existing gods. Had he indeed been the universal cosmic god of Akhenaten he would not need to have been "jealous" or to "magnify" himself on the Egyptians, as the Bible repeatedly tells us. Assmann accepts,furthermore, Freud's idea of repressed trauma which remains latent in the subconcious where it acts as a disturbing element and eventually breaks back into consciousness in distorted form. This is not a biologic fact but merely psychoanalytic theory. Although popular at this time, it has not been proven to occur in individuals let alone ethnic groups or nations.
The book also abounds with Latin and French quotations which are not always translated. The Greek and German ones are. Thus a proper evaluation of this book requires information which the average - even reasonably well educated - American reader does not readily possess. This also highlights the problem one has with a single 1-5 star rating system. For scholarship it deserves the four stars given but for ease of readability I would have to reduce them to about 2. The book will,therefore, be best appreciated by professionals in the field rather than laypersons. ... Read more